Artificial Intelligence as a strategic capability in the Automotive Industry: The case of Volkswagen Group Italy’s Commercial Vehicles Division

This thesis examines the strategic, sustainability-related and financial implications of artificial intelligence adoption within Volkswagen Group Italy’s Commercial Vehicles Division. The study focuses on how AI tools are progressively reshaping commercial mobility through applications such as predictive maintenance, fleet management systems, advanced driver-assistance systems, customer service platforms, marketing analytics and AI-supported training activities. The research adopts a qualitative case study approach, based on corporate documentation, academic literature, industry reports and insights gathered during a curricular internship at Volkswagen Group Italy S.p.A. The analysis shows that AI contributes to operational efficiency by improving vehicle uptime, optimising routes, supporting predictive maintenance and enhancing customer interaction. At the same time, AI supports sustainability objectives by reducing fuel consumption, improving energy management and enabling the transition toward electric and connected commercial vehicles. The thesis also highlights that the financial impact of AI cannot be estimated analytically at the divisional level due to the lack of disaggregated internal data and the still-evolving nature of many applications. Nevertheless, external benchmarks and company-level indicators suggest that AI can contribute to cost reduction, productivity improvements and stronger customer lifetime value. The comparative analysis across Volkswagen Group brands further shows that AI can become a source of competitive advantage only when it is deeply integrated into organisational processes, data ecosystems and service-based business models. Finally, the study identifies key barriers to AI implementation, including data governance, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, organisational readiness and workforce transformation. The thesis concludes that AI should not be considered merely as a technological tool, but as a strategic capability that can support long-term competitiveness, sustainability and value creation, assuming that it is accompanied by effective governance, employee upskilling and cross-brand integration.